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He won 286 games pitching for the Phillies when the franchise was mediocre or worse most of the time. Roberts gave up more homeruns than any pitcher in baseball history. Basically he challenged hitters to hit him but Roberts was one of those pitchers(Catfish Hunter, Tom Seaver, Jack Morris) who could do it and win even if some of them were home run prone. Roberts served in the Air Force and attended Michigan State before his pro baseball days. After he was through playing, Roberts was head baseball coach at the University of South Florida. RIP.

Philadelphia Phillie trivia- Who is the only Phillie pitcher since 1930 to win the National League MVP award? It is not Roberts. The answer will be at the bottom of this post.

Long before pitch counts, setup men and closers, Robin Roberts usually finished what he started.

Roberts, the tireless Hall of Fame pitcher who led the Philadelphia Phillies to the 1950 National League pennant as part of the famed “Whiz Kids,” died Thursday at his Temple Terrace, Fla., home of natural causes, the Phillies said, citing son Jim. He was 83.

“He was a boyhood hero of mine,” team president David Montgomery said. “Then I had a chance to meet him personally. I remember pinching myself knowing I was talking to Robin Roberts. His career and stats speak for themselves. But first and foremost he was a friend and we’ll miss him badly.”

The right-hander was the most productive pitcher in the National League in the first half of the 1950s, topping the league in wins from 1952 to 1955, innings pitched from ’51 to ’55 and complete games from ’52 to ’56.

He won 286 games and put together six consecutive 20-win seasons. Roberts had 45 career shutouts, 2,357 strikeouts and a lifetime ERA of 3.41. He pitched 305 complete games, but also gave up more home runs than any other major league pitcher. Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer is on the verge of breaking that mark. The 47-year-old Moyer has given up 498 homers, seven fewer than Roberts.

Roberts played in an era when pitchers expected to go the distance. Put it this way: In the past 25 years, Phillies pitchers threw a total of 300 complete games — five fewer than Roberts all by himself. Roberts made 609 career starts, finishing more than half.

“Robin was one of the most consistent, competitive and durable pitchers of his generation and a symbol of the Whiz Kids,” commissioner Bud Selig said. “Robin truly loved baseball and always had its best interests at heart.”

Long after his career ended, Roberts followed the Phillies closely and was still popular in Philadelphia, drawing boisterous applause from fans each time he came back.

From NFL.com- Troup was a productive three-year starter for the Central Florida defense. He is a short, bulky interior defender who flashes initial quickness in the middle. He shows natural power to hold the point versus the run as well as push the pocket as a pass rusher. He needs to expand his pass-rush package with more counter moves. He lacks range outside the tackle box and can be inconsistent to shed blockers quickly. Troup will fit best as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defensive scheme with enough tools to develop.

NFL.com writes- Allen has been an excellent safety for the Bulls. He has a good combination of size and athleticism. He isnâ€™t a consistent physical open field tackler and needs to finish better at the next level. Allen has good balance, foot agility and quickness for his size. He shows good range in pursuit but needs to be more consistent taking angles to the ball. Allen understands leverage and is rarely out of position when defending both the run and the pass. He can re-route receivers with his long arms and is technique sound in combination man and zone coverages. Allen is a good football player that has the mental toughness, size and athleticism to work into a starting position in his rookie season.

From NFL.com- Pierre-Paul is coming off a big year for the Bulls defense in his first season in the program. Pierre-Paul has a great frame to add additional bulk and strength which should improve him as a run defender. He shows natural quickness and anticipation as an edge rusher and has an expanded package to counter effectively. Pierre-Paul is a disruptive player with good range to run down plays from the backside but lacks the strength at the point of attack to stop the run. He will need to improve his hand use, pad level, strength and technique in this phase of the game at the next level but should fit in well in a 4-3 defensive scheme.

The 2008 NFL Draft also saw the same amount of under classmen. In 2009 the total was 46. From AP-

The expected heavy influx of non-seniors applying for this year’s NFL draft did not happen despite looming labor unrest in the league.

Although a record-tying 53 players declared for early entry, that number released Tuesday by the NFL was short of most projections.

“I think that the colleges have really done a good job of telling these young men how it is to their advantage to stay in school,” said NFL draft consultant Gil Brandt, who helped build the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. “I thought there would be more and I was surprised.”

Six All-Americans did apply for the draft: defensive backs Eric Berry of Tennessee and Joe Haden of Florida; defensive end Derrick Morgan of Georgia Tech; tight end Aaron Hernandez of Florida; linebacker Rolando McClain of Alabama; and wide receiver Golden Tate of Notre Dame.

Fresno State tailback Ryan Mathews, the nation’s leading rusher, applied. So did tackles Bryan Bulaga of Iowa and Anthony Davis of Rutgers, who are projected to go high in the draft.

I remember when Herschel Walker came out of school(U of Georgia) early and all the controversy it caused. A Herschel Walker today wouldn’t risk a potential big payday in the NFL either.

What I don’t get is how some experts expected the total of non-seniors to be around 100 or a 100% increase from last year. Maybe I’ll find an article that list the college players who stuck it out. A free college education should be valued. One day your sports playing days will end and what will you do for money then? Look at Bernie Kosar who left the University of Miami early for the NFL. Right now he is bankruptcy court.

The entire list of college underclassman declaring for this year’s NFL draft is below the fold.

Skip Holtz is leaving East Carolina to take over as coach at South Florida.

Holtz informed the team of his decision in a meeting Thursday afternoon, team spokesman Tom McClellan said.

South Florida fired coach Jim Leavitt earlier this month after a school investigation concluded he grabbed a player by the throat, slapped him in the face, then lied about it. Leavitt denied the allegations and insisted his dismissal was unwarranted.

The 45-year-old Holtz has led East Carolina to two consecutive Conference USA championships and 38 victories in four seasons. He also coached at Connecticut in the 1990s in the years before UConn became a Division I-A (FBS) program.

Unlike Leavitt, Holtz is likely to use SF as a stepping stone towards a more prestigious college football coaching job. There is nothing wrong with ambition as long as 1- The coach is honest about it 2- The University avoids hiring someone who is ambitious and only in the job for themselves. In other words, a coach who will get a university into NCAA trouble then bolt just before sanctions are to be handed down. Someone like John Calipari.

He had a record of 94-57 at USF and been the only football coach the school has ever had. From ESPN-

South Florida football coach Jim Leavitt was fired Friday following an investigation of an allegation that he struck one of his players in the locker room.

In confirming his dismissal, Leavitt told The Associated Press he was “disappointed” and the allegation was “absolutely false.”

South Florida said the findings of its investigation into the alleged incident will be discussed at a 12:30 p.m. ET news conference. In its statement, the university did not mention Leavitt’s status as coach.

A South Florida staff member told ESPN’s Joe Schad that a staff meeting has been called for noon ET, at which time the entire coaching staff will be officially fired. A meeting with the players is not expected.

Leavitt has been under investigation by the university for allegedly grabbing and striking special teams player Joel Miller at halftime of a November game against Louisville. The allegations against Leavitt originally were made by Miller’s father, Paul, in an online report. Paul Miller has backtracked from original comments that alluded to contact Leavitt allegedly made with his son’s neck and face.

Miller has since said Leavitt only grabbed his shoulder pads. Apparently the school is believing the first version of events.

Honestly, I don’t understand why abuse of college athletes is even tolerated by society. What would lead to criminal charges if it happened outside the world of sports, or happened to young men and women just a few young years younger, would result in criminal charges for the abuser. Instead excuses are made and the victims get criticized. What is wrong with this picture?

No I’m not talking about some middle aged man propelling a ball at some objects at the end of a lane, but the games that climax every college football season. Bowl season officially starts this afternoon, here are the matchups for all the college football fanatics out there.

Note- I gave the shortened name version of all the upcoming games. Also I listed what broadcast network would be televising the game and what time they would be coming on the air. All times are Eastern Standard.

*- 19 of the 34 games are not scheduled till Dec. 31st or later. I guess college football fanatics are expected to flip channels very quickly on those 3 days(Dec 31-Jan 2) when 15 games are being aired.
*- What a downer must it be for Oregon State players and fans. A few weeks ago they were one win from a Rose Bowl trip. Instead they lost to Oregon and are playing in a minor bowl before Christmas.
*- The NFL network televises a college football game. I guess that’s the cable sports equivalent of the Sci-Fi channel showing wrestling….
*- The bowls are now set where now certain conference finishers are locked into the same bowl games every year. I understand why the current system is done, but I prefer the day when bowl games would have greater variance from year to year. The Peach bowl would usually invite a ACC or SEC school but they could be creative, like when they invited Army and Illinois. Wouldn’t a SEC team against BYU or Wyoming be nice for a change?
*- Bobby Bowden’s farewell game is against the same school(West Virginia) that he left before coming to Florida State. I do know FSU and WV have played at least twice previously in bowls during the Bowden-Florida State era.

Family and friends refused to give up the search for two NFL players and a third man missing four days in the Gulf of Mexico, enlisting private boats and planes to comb the waters off the Florida coast.

The Coast Guard called off the official search Tuesday for Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent NFL defensive lineman Corey Smith, who played for the Detroit Lions last season, and former South Florida player William Bleakley. The friends have been missing since their boat overturned Saturday in rough seas.

Authorities were done, but about a dozen charter boats motored out Wednesday, some with friends of the families aboard, to try to locate some signs of the men, according to dock workers at John’s Pass near St. Petersburg. Three private planes also flew over the endless stretch of water, according to Cooper’s father.

“Everyone around here, they’ve either known someone or heard of someone who’s been lost out at sea,” said David Scott, who works at a marina at John’s Pass. “It’s just one of those situations. Everyone really comes together in times like these.”

A fourth man on the fishing trip, Bleakley’s former South Florida teammate, Nick Schuyler, was rescued Monday after a Coast Guard cutter crew found him clinging to the hull 35 miles off Clearwater. His doctor said it’s a “miracle” Schuyler survived in the 63-degree Gulf water for nearly two days.

It will be a miracle if the others are found alive. I understand the families don’t want to give up hope, but exposure and hypothermia(I live over 200 Miles to the southeast of where the boat capsized. Temperatures were in the 40′s just two days ago) have certainly taken the lives of all three of these men.

No I’m not talking about some middle aged man propelling a ball at some objects at the end of a lane, but the games that climax every college football season. Bowl season officially starts this Saturday, here are the matchups for all the college football fanatics out there.

That’s 34 games, 68 schools spread over a period of 20 days for those of you keeping score at home. An ample supply of college football for any fanatics out there.

A few notes

*- There are a few bowl games remaining without corporate names in their title. Gator, Sun, Texas, Independence. Were these games unable to find sponsors?
*- Will Oklahoma St. and Oregon combine for 70 pts or more in the Holiday Bowl? This annually has been of the most high scoring affairs.
*- Oh how has the Orange Bowl dropped. A game that featured early triumphs of Joe Paterno led Penn State, Nebraska and Oklahoma in their glory days, the first major bowl appearance of Florida State, and the all time classic 84 battle between Nebraska and Miami, has Cincinnati and Virginia Tech playing this year. I’m sure they are talented football teams, but how many people are drooling to see them play in a prime-time network slot?
*- Arizona and BYU meet in a bowl 30 years after the former left the WAC conference for the higher profile Pac Eight(Now Ten, Arizona State joined also)
*- Vanderbilt makes a rare bowl appearance. Congratulations to Commodore fans, but this is a sign of how bowls are grown way out of proportion. 6-6 college teams get bids. When I was growing up I could remember Florida State going without a bowl in 1978 even though they finished the season 8-3.

It is my humble opinion that bowl season has gotten out of hand. Someone may say what’s the big deal? If someone wants to start a bowl game and there are two schools willing to play in it, does their records matter. A good football isn’t only a contest between stars at big name schools.

All true, but how much public money is spent on these affairs? Many of the teams are state universities who get funded by taxpayers. Then there is the game itself where police have to be taken from other tasks to work the day or night of the game or paid over-time.

With the economic downturn right now, you have to wonder if there will be less bowls in the near future. That would depend on how long a deal a corporate sponsor signed on for. I wonder how many fans of some schools plan to make a bowl trip. Are there 1,000 or more FAU Owls willing to journey from Florida to Michigan in December to watch the team play? Even if I were a Owl fan and had money, I’d stay home.